In the past, owners of travel trailers have often desired to stabilize and level their travel trailers while the trailers are parked for extended periods of time. One of the methods that has been employed in the past to stabilize and level travel trailers has been to use jacks, including screw jacks, hydraulic jacks, scissor jacks, and various other jack types, which are positioned between the undercarriage of the travel trailer and the surface of the ground immediately below the travel trailer. When these jacks were successfully deployed, they would greatly limit any rocking or other motion that might be caused by various sources including wind or movement of the inhabitants or occupants inside of the travel trailer. While this method of stabilizing trailers has been used successfully for many years, it did have several drawbacks. First of all, storage of the jacks while transporting the trailer to a different location often was troublesome or bothersome. Additionally, mating the jack to the travel trailer could at times be difficult if the terrain beneath the trailer were uneven.
In recent years, many travel trailers have been including permanently mounted stabilizing jacks which are affixed to the undercarriage of the trailer. These jacks have proven to be convenient in that they do not require storage, nor do they require mating of the jack to the trailer undercarriage on each use. Typically, these jacks are scissor jacks, but any type of jack could be used. The jacks are often operated by a lever or crank which is inserted into the jack and manipulated to either raise or lower the jack base to a desired level. The lever handle or crank would then be typically stored in the vehicle until its use was again needed at a later time.
While these jacks have enjoyed much success in the recent years, they, too, have several serious drawbacks. The most troubling drawback of these permanently attached stabilizer jacks has been they are often difficult to manipulate or crank down as a result of exposure to the elements. When these trailers are pulled behind a vehicle, they are exposed to rain, snow, sand, gravel, and other debris which might be present on or about a roadway. If this debris or other contamination comes in contact with the gears or internal mechanisms of the stabilizing jack, it often results in increased resistance, thereby making it more difficult to manipulate the jack to its desired position. Additionally, repeated use of the jack with debris and/or contamination in vital areas often results in accelerated wear on the moving parts of the jack. This accelerated wear may result in the need for replacement of the stabilizing jacks if they are operated in harsh conditions and with considerable frequency.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and apparatuses for stabilizing a travel trailer in a manner which is relatively easy to operate and which has an extended life span.